West Nile Alert Lifted As Threat Diminishes

CENTRAL FLORIDA - The Area - In Brief

December 11, 2004

BREVARD COUNTY Medical alerts for the West Nile virus were lifted Friday in all six Florida counties that were considered at high risk for the disease this year, including Brevard.

The alerts were no longer needed because of a decline in birds and other animals sickened by West Nile, said Dr. John Agwunobi, secretary of the Florida Department of Health. The other five counties under the alert were Broward, Duval, Gadsden, Hillsborough and Miami-Dade.

"We're beginning to see significant drop-off in West Nile activity statewide," Agwunobi said Friday. "This is typical for this time of year."

Though mosquitoes might carry the West Nile virus year-round, summer and fall are peak seasons for the infection. West Nile can cause mild to severe symptoms that are life-threatening. Florida had 41 cases in people and two deaths this year.

Four human cases were in Brevard County, but the disease was concentrated in South Florida, where both deaths occurred.

Nationwide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has documented 2,359 cases of West Nile infections in people and 84 deaths. California, Arizona and Colorado have experienced rampant outbreaks this year, with hundreds of cases in each state.